ArchiveJune 2015

By: Metro Published on Tue Jun 30 2015 It's become clear that Mayor John Tory’s SmartTrack transit plan was a genius piece of campaign strategy. During last year’s election, SmartTrack was the thing that defined Tory’s brand after a shaky start. It gave him a platform, differentiated him from his opponents and gave him some credibility on transit — always one of the top issues for voters...

By: Metro Published on Mon Jun 29 2015 With the revitalized Queens Quay West open, there was a good vibe down at Toronto’s waterfront this past week. Cyclists were cycling. Joggers were jogging. Revellers were revelling. But then there was Deputy Mayor Denzil Minnan-Wong. He wasn’t cycling, jogging, or revelling. He was just complaining. “Recognizing #NewQueensQuay must also note huge budget...

By: Metro Published on Wed Jun 24 2015 Soon after Toronto & East York Community Council voted Monday to reduce speed limits on local roads to 30 km/h, critics emerged to say the decision was short-sighted. And not supported by transportation staff. And that enforcement might be tricky. Oh, and also? That those lower speed limits could kill people. The Toronto Sun was all over this one. In an...

By: Metro Published on Tue Jun 23 2015 Back in November, John Tory made it clear he wasn’t entirely happy with Toronto police. “I am not at all satisfied with the overall state of the relationship between the police services board, the police service itself and the community,” Tory, still mayor-elect at the time, told journalists at a state-of-the-city event. To fix things, he decided to take a...

By: Metro Canada Published on Thu Jun 18 2015 A week after council voted 24-21 in favour of the “hybrid option” for the Gardiner East, I’m still feeling all the feelings. I’m disappointed. I’m worried about what this means for the next few years. And I’m very, very tired. I’m also confused. Last week's debate left me with a bunch of unanswered questions, both about the process up to this...

By: Metro Published on Mon Jun 15 2015 If you’ve ever wondered why qualified professionals tend not to want to work in the public sector, consider Toronto chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat as Exhibit A. Keesmaat, by all accounts an accomplished urban planner who reportedly took a steep pay cut to work at Toronto City Hall, has been given a rough ride since she was appointed in 2012. She’s seen it...